


Healing

by Jacklope



Category: Naruto
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-10-07 21:28:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10369836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacklope/pseuds/Jacklope
Summary: "While you’re alive, you need a reason for your existence. Being unable to find one is the same as being dead."Yamato is tired and does not know how to overcome his guilt after the war. But he is trying.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Yamato and Kakashi are one of my favorite pairings, and I love team 7 bonding so that's why there's this. 
> 
> I don't own Naruto, the characters belong to Kishimoto

Yamato is tired. He wouldn't admit it. Since the war a year ago he has spent a lot of his time being tired, being head of ANBU, rebuilding Konoha, attempting to heal. 

He is trying. Sakura and Tsunade tried to get him to go to official therapy meetings at the hospital but he refused, saying other people needed it more than he did. Sakura eventually compromised for once weekly teahouse meetings. Which are mostly therapy sessions. But the guise of friends meeting was enough to relinquish some of the guilt for Yamato. 

He tries to take her words and put them in practice. He doesn't want to feel guilty and hurt. For example, she told him being around friends and people in general would help. So even though he would've rather made a wood dome and hidden in it for years, he tries that. He attends weekly Team 7 dinners, held at a different house every week. He sees Kakashi, the hokage now to give his reports. He buys Naruto Ramen for lunch. 

He does not think it has changed anything and he wonders why. 

He asks Sakura at their weekly meeting, her running a nail along the rim of her cup and looking exhausted. He feels a bit guilty. 

She leans over and grabs his hand and he flinches a little. He has trouble accepting kindness since he was used to cause to so much destruction and pain. 

"Well, Yamato-taichou, you are around people but you're not really with them." She adds emphasis on "with" and "around" and squeezes his hand. "You don't really open up, you know? You just give your reports, or help clean up at weekly dinner. And while I'm sure that helps, it's not what I meant really. Take the others, for example. Naruto talking about what the war felt like and sage mode and Sasuke at dinner, Sai telling us he doesn't really know what to do since breaking free of Root, Kakashi whining about being a Hokage after a war. That's what I meant. Talking to them about the things you need to heal." 

Yamato doesn't bring up that she doesn't bring those things up to the group. He knows she has been the grounding force keeping the family together. He also knows that she is smart, smarter than the whole group probably. She has someone she must talk to, Yamato thinks probably Tsunade or Ino. 

He is quietly musing over her words and she sips her tea. 

They end their meeting by going over guilt and ways to cope with it, and how it is not Yamato's fault what happened. Yamato pays for their tea and she says she will see him tonight for dinner, Kakashi is cooking tonight. 

Yamato is left on a busy street and is tired and not sure what to do. His Senpai gave him a week off of active duty. He spent the first few days with Naruto, rebuilding houses and building trees while Naruto ran around with children telling them they will all be great Shinobi someday, and them exclaiming they want to be like him. 

Yesterday, he had shown up and Naruto was sitting on a bench looking smug. 

"I have official orders from the Hokage." Naruto said "official" and "Hokage" with sarcasm and irritation. 

"He says that we are to take a break, which means no trees or building." 

It hadn't taken long for Naruto to sprint off and find Iruka. 

Yamato is not sure what to do with his day if he can't build or make trees. He knows Sakura would tell him this was a great way for him to find out who he was post war. To find some hobbies that don't involve a need to atone for sins. But his hobbies are mostly trees. And ANBU statistics. 

"Something wrong, Tenzō?" 

Yamato jumps. Only one person still calls him Tenzō, instead of Yamato. He turns to see Kakashi standing there.

"Ahh, Hokage-sama. What are you doing here, where is your ANBU guard?" 

"I guess you haven't trained them well enough Tenzō, they were surprisingly easy to give the slip. I just wanted some fresh air. And it's just Kakashi, kouhai." Kakashi runs a hand through his hair and is still looking at Yamato quizzically. 

"Hmp. I guess I'll have to let them onto your little tricks, Sensei. You have always been a troublesome slacker, Hokage-sama." 

"Please drop the sama, Tenzō, it's just me." 

Yamato has a brief flash of Shizune running around in a panic with the Hokage missing. 

"And you should call me Yamato, sensei. Shouldn't you get back to your duty?" 

"Mhh. Walk with me back to Hokage Tower?" Kakashi tilts his head indicating they should keep moving. 

Yamato supposes he should, the Hokage should have an ANBU guard, and it's not like Yamato has anything else planned. 

They walk together and people wave and bow to Kakashi. 

Kakashi tilts his head towards Yamato. 

"So, you looked like something was wrong." 

It's not a question because Kakashi would not make Yamato feel obligated to respond. Yamato looks at his Senpai and feels a bit of a rush and knows that if he has to open up to someone to heal, this is the person. Kakashi has always been there, has always kept him safe. 

"I was just thinking. About how to spend my days off. Unless you want to let me go back to building and trees." He adds this last part with a smirk. 

"And have my head of ANBU drop dead of exhaustion, Tenzō? Not likely. You and Naruto are far too much alike. He has been badgering me about it too, but I can't have the face of Konoha, the war hero, drop dead of exhaustion." 

Yamato chuckles. He watches a woman ask Kakashi to hold her baby for a picture and Kakashi agree. 

"Anyway, you were saying." Kakashi says once that is done. They resume walking. 

"I don't know, Sensei. I'm not sure who or how to be anymore. I just feel a little lost." Yamato admits this and feels a bit embarrassed being this open with someone, even his sensei. 

Kakashi makes a humming sound. They reach the long ramp to the top of the tower. 

"I feel bad about the trouble I caused, even indirectly. I don't know what else to do but help is all, Hokage-sama." 

"Drop the sama. Would you like to spend the day helping me pretend to be a good Hokage? You could come over after and cook dinner for the team with me." Kakashi says this right before they reach the door leading to the hallway, he doesn't look at Yamato. 

Yamato scratches his head. He would like spending more time with Kakashi and he is sure this is what Sakura meant. 

"I would like that, Sensei."

Kakashi turns to him and holds his gaze. He can feel their connect run deep. 

And then Shizune has swooped down on them. 

The day passes with Kakashi doing paperwork, or making Yamato do it while Kakashi naps with his head on Yamato's lap sitting on the floor, surrounded by paper. They do joke and talk about the old ANBU days, and there is a brief period where they prank Shizune with a tree clone and a scary face. 

It is the calmest and happiest Yamato has felt since the war. He wonders if this is why Shizune became Tsunade's advisor in the first place. 

They walk back to Kakashi's house and Kakashi whines that if he has the head of ANBU with him that he doesn't really need the several keeping watch on rooftops. 

They are making rice and fried fish for dinner. Kakashi flicks rice at him and he beams a pepper at Kakashi. 

Then Kakashi stops, suddenly. He puts the knife he was using to cut fish down and turns to Yamato.

"It's not your fault, you know. And if you're having a hard time you can always come to me. I don't know who I am anymore either. Without the sharigan, being hokage. We can flail around uselessly together, Tenzō." 

He is closing the distance between them quickly and Yamato is having trouble breathing. 

"I didn't even think about how you might feel lost too, Sensei. I'm sorry. You've always been there for me and been so strong." 

Kakshi is putting a finger on Yamato's lips to shush him. 

"It's not like that, kouhai. I was just saying that we could help each other. Maybe. In more ways than just finding out who we are." 

Yamato inhales sharply when Kakashi yanks his mask down. He has seen Kakashi mask less before but it is still like having his knees kicked out beneath him. 

Kakashi leans in and kisses him. It is also not the first time they've kissed. They've comforted each other in many ways, through the years. This is just one of them. It still sets Yamato on fire. 

They pull away and Yamato asks, "What does this mean, sensei?" 

"I was just thinking we could make this a more permanent fixture. That maybe we could be a little more than occasional meeting in the night." 

Yamato's head is spinning. 

"You don't have to say yes,Tenzō. It was just an idea. You can move in here and we can spend everyday like this. But if you don't wa-" 

Yamato cuts Kakashi off with another kiss. They only stop when they smell the smoke of the peppers burning. They break away panting and Yamato yanks the pan off the stove. 

"So I'll have someone bring your plants and books over tomorrow, and we should talk about making you an official guard for the Hokage." Kakashi turns back to cooking the fish while he says this. 

"Kakashi-sensei!! You have got to hear about this cool move I did today!" Naruto bounces into the kitchen and Sai and Sakura follow behind him. Kakashi has his mask up with lightning speed. Sakura raises an eyebrow at the sight of them both cooking together. 

"Yamato-taichou! Your already here. Great! So anyway, I was sparring with Sai and we got this idea for me to ride one of his birds..." Naruto perches himself on the edge of a chair and launches into his story, Sai and Sakura set the table. 

Yamato and Kakashi place the food on the table and everyone sits down. Naruto is exclaiming loudly that it looks great.

"It does but the peppers look a little burned" Sai notes this, as blunt as ever. 

"Did you distract Yamato-taichou, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura says smirking and serving everyone. 

Naruto whips his head around and sees Kakashi is gently holding Yamato's hand. His smile is big and bright. 

"Well, if you are all ready to eat then dig in." Kakashi says this with a wave of his hand. 

After they eat and clear the table and play a game of cards together it's time for them all to part ways. This is always the hardest part for the team. Some nights they can't bring themselves to leave and all end up passed out in a puddle on the floor of whoever is hosting. Yamato thinks eventually this will become less frequent, when the team makes families for themselves. 

"Well I guess it's time for us to leave you two alone. Thanks for dinner, Kakashi-sensei! Won't it be great when Sasuke is back and can join us?" Naruto has grabbed both Yamato and Kakashi's hand and is squeezing them. 

Yamato thinks it will be a good thing to involve the young Uchiha in this family. 

Sakura shoves Naruto and Sai and they are all in a group hug and none of them want to let go. 

When they do Sakura pulls Naruto and Sai with her. No one says goodbye because they have had enough goodbyes to last a lifetime. 

Kakashi closes the door. 

"Well,Tenzō, I suppose we should go to bed now. Though I suspect we won't be getting much sleep" he adds this last part with a wink that sends a shiver down Yamato's spine.

Yamato thinks as Kakashi is pulling him towards the bedroom, this is what it feels like to heal. 

Yamato is thankful for his family. They fill his heart where it has been broken. He hopes, no, he knows, he does the same for them.


End file.
